What is a healthy weight

What is a healthy weight? 

Body mass index (BMI) is one way to tell whether you are at a healthy weight, overweight, or obese. It measures your weight in relation to your height.
A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is in the healthy range. A person with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight, and someone with a BMI of 30 or greater is considered obese.
Go to the tear-off tip sheet at the back of this booklet to find a BMI table you can use to find your BMI score. You may also check the Resources section at the end of this booklet for a link to an online tool for measuring BMI.
Another way to find out if you are at risk for health problems caused by overweight and obesity is to measure your waist. If you are a woman and your waist is more than 35 inches, or if you are a man and your waist is more than 40 inches, your risk of disease may be higher.



HEALTH RISKS OF BEING OVERWEIGHT 

Extra weight can cause these health problems with pregnancy:
• gestational diabetes (high blood sugar during pregnancy)
• high blood pressure
• increased risk for cesarean section (C-section)
Extra weight may increase your risk for
..type 2 diabetes
..heart disease and stroke
..high blood cholesterol
..high blood pressure
..kidney disease
..non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (a fat buildup in the livers of people who drink little or no alcohol)
..problems with pregnancy (see box)
..certain cancers


Why do people become overweight? 


Over time, if you eat and drink more calories than your body uses or “burns off,” your body may store the extra energy, leading to weight gain. Many factors may play a part in weight gain.

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